Snow shovel



March 15, 1932. I M, Bq BULGER l 1,849,171

` 'sNow sHovEL Filed March 7, 1931 I "Z0 @4.2. A /5 j y l if i O/of T i Z 4:5 y Z/ @ik l s;

i ff l; /f

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 MICHAEL B. BULGER, or BEAVERDAm'wIsCQNsIN SNOW SHIOYEL Application led March 7, 1931.- iSerial No. 520,930.

The device forming the subject matter of the drawings of the presentcase, convened,

this application is an improvement on the snow shovel shown in my prior Patent No. 1,517,341. Since the novelty resides in certain structural features which distinguish the present shovel from the patented article, and

since those features should beconsidered relatively to the patented article,the construction shown in the patent will be commented upon at some length, in order that the objects of the present invention may be clearly understood. Until notice of a change of purpose is given hereinafter, the numerals used' are* those to bey found on the drawingof Patent No. 1,517,341. A Y Y In the patented snow shovel, ythe handle 11 is held on the body 4 to a large extent byia securing device 15, and a hole hasto be made in the handle, for the reception of the securing device. It h'asbeen contended by some that this weakens the handle and causes it to break at the securing device 15, especially since the handle does not bear on the body above the securing device, and since there is no bracing connection between the handle and the upper portion of the body. This I propose to remedy by so constructing the improved shovel that there will be no weakening holes in its handle near to the place of attachment between the handle and the body,

where the strain comes. p The mere fastening. of a shovel handle to a body, withoutA per-V forating and weakening the handle, is not hard to accomplish, but todo this, and still. keep the handle from pulling out endwise, is g another matter, and is one of the objects of the present invention.

In the patented shovel, practically the entire connection between the handle 11 and the body 1 is near the geometrical center of the body, where the braces and 6 and the socket 8 are located. This I propose toV remedy by a. new and better arrangement of braces and by a different construction and placing of the handle socket. y p

Passingvfrom the old construction to the new, Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a section on the line S-Bof Figure 1. y The metal blade 1 of the shovel shown in ythe forwardly converging ianges 10 of the 1Q tov form'pacrown about at the `place whereV the numeral 2 is located in Figurek2. trough-shaped socket 3 extends rearwardlyA from the extremelower edge 4 of thek blade 1,- 55

socket'B maybe referred to as the body ofV gf Y i the shovel, to which the wooden handle 8 is 65w attached.

The handle 8 (which'may be of any desired Y length) has a tapered end 9 wedged between socket 3, and held in the socket by the for.- 7c.' ward U-shaped clip 5which is secured at its ends to the blade. yThe handle 8 is further held on the blade 1 of the shovel by a rear U- shaped clip 11, the ends of which are fastened y to the'blade l'by securing elements 12.v It 75 i will be noted thaty the handle 8 is provided in y its inner 'edge with a recess 14, in which the crown 2 of the body lits closely, and, there fore, the handle cannot be pulled out length# wise, even though -it is held in place by the sdf-f U shaped clipsV 5 'and 11; Because it is unnecessary to make holes in the handle forsecuringv elements, the handle is 'not weakened,

that part of the handle'which is `in'rcontact i,... with the body of the shovel being imperforate. 8'5` the handle 8, and the rear or upper end of the :5) Y

extension 15 is formed into a prop 17, disposed at an angle to the handle, and terminating in a foot 48 attached by a securing device 49 to the handle.. Rearwardly converging braces e.; 18, preferably trough-shaped in cross section, are secured intermediate their ends to the blade `1, by fastening devices 1'9,.the forward ends of the braces being attached to the blade by securing members 20, whichengage both vthe blade 1 and the wear strip 7. The rear 10G ends 21 of the braces 18 are flat, and are bound by the securing elements 12 between the blade 1 and the ends of the upper clip 11, as Figure 3 will show. The construction described in this paragraph distributes the strain, and does 5 not localize 1t 1n one place, near to the geometrical center of the blade, as in my former patent, hereinbefore alluded to.

I claim: A snow shovel comprising a handle and a blade, the rear portion of .the blade slanting away from the handle, a trough-shaped socket on the blade, wherein the Jforward end ofthe handle is received, the socket being provided at its rear end with an extension which is prolonged backwardly along the rear portion of the blade, the extension terminating in an angularly-disposed prop secured to the handle, a forward clip straddling the socket and the forwardend of the handle, and secured tothe blade, a rear clip spaced from the forward clip and straddling the handle, the rear clip being secured tothe blade,`and braces eXtended along the blade toward the forward, outer corners of the blade, the braces being secured to the blade and to the rear clip. v

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

. MICHAEL B. BULGER. 

